Cricket: Wells is new captain at Grace Road

LEICESTERSHIRE HAVE appointed Vince Wells as the club captain in succession to James Whitaker.

The 34-year-old all-rounder, who was a member of England's World Cup squad this summer, joined the county in 1991 and has been the acting captain since Whitaker's retirement earlier this season.

The head of Pakistan's Accountability Bureau, Saif-ur-Rehman, has recommended that all charges of match fixing and misconduct against Pakistani cricketers be dropped, including those that date back up to five years.

The recommendation was made in a report prepared by the governmental agency regarding allegations that the Pakistani national team, including its captain, Wasim Akram, deliberately lost the World Cup final in June against Australia.

According to un-named government officials, Rehman called Pakistan's cricketers "national heroes". The allegations, he said, have tarnished Pakistan's image.